'Film Night' brings drama, adventure to bucolic Tanglewood

Thursday

Aug 10, 2017 at 9:47 AMAug 10, 2017 at 9:47 AM

By Alexander Stevens, Correspondent

When a back ailment prevented conductor John Williams from leading the “Tanglewood on Parade” concert in Lenox two summers ago, Boston Symphony Orchestra music director Andris Nelsons stepped in and stepped up (to the podium) on short notice.

Williams, who coordinates “John Williams’ Film Night” at Tanglewood, heard the performance and agreed. He asked Nelsons if the two conductors could share the podium for this summer’s version of the ever-popular “Film Night” program, performed Aug. 19 at 8 p.m., at Tanglewood.

Nelsons said yes.

“He’s very excited,” says Fogg.

And a little concerned. The program includes music from “E.T.,” “Indiana Jones,” “The Adventures of Tintin,” and “Dracula,” and some of it is synched to film clips. Performing to a projected clip is a unique technique that the conductor must master, and Nelsons is hard at work.

“He’s a little nervous,” says Fogg.

Fogg should know. The two men are in constant communication, and they’re part of the inner circle that designs the concerts for the BSO’s homes at Symphony Hall in Boston and at Tanglewood.

“Film Night” has become “a Tanglewood institution,” says Fogg, adding that it’s been one of the venue’s most popular programs since it debuted 20 years ago.

“The great thing is hearing the wonderful Pops orchestra playing these scores,” says Fogg. “The quality of playing is inspiring. And of course John [Williams] is a beloved figure. He just walks on stage and he gets a standing ovation. And, in many ways, he’s written the music that is the soundtrack to our lives.”

In Hollywood’s heyday, a symphony orchestra was the presumptive choice for recording a movie score. However, with advancements in music technology, it became easier and cheaper to record soundtracks with fewer musicians.

“John led the cause for the reestablishment of the orchestra as the principle voice of the movies,” says Fogg.

One of Williams’ first film scores was for “The Poseidon Adventure” in 1972. His most iconic score came three years later, when he wrote the music for “Jaws,” proving that music could be as memorable as any character in a movie.

“Jaws” was the start of an astonishing partnership with director Steven Spielberg. Williams scored “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” “E.T.,” “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” “Hook,” “Jurassic Park,” “Schindler’s List,” “Lincoln,” “The War Horse,” and “War of the Worlds.”

In the next few years, fans will see new films in both the “Star Wars” and “Indiana Jones” franchises, and, needless to say, the music will be provided by you-know-who.

In all, the website imdb.com lists 145 film and TV composing credits for Williams, who’s 85.

“Lots of people take film scores for granted, and in some ways that’s a good thing,” says Fogg, pointing out that the music should support the story. “But people forget how much music is there. Composers can write up to two hours of music for a movie. It’s a huge undertaking. And John writes complicated music that’s highly developed, with rich orchestrations.”

Williams won’t be the only draw to “Film Night”; Nelsons adds another layer of prestige to the event. The folks around Lenox are seeing more of Nelsons this summer. He’ll spend a total of five weeks in Tanglewood, leading 12 performances.

“His enthusiasm for Tanglewood grows more and more every year,” says Fogg. “He can’t get away from the place. He’s as intoxicated by it as the rest of us.”

Fogg says it’s a common reaction to Tanglewood. He has worked with three music directors at the BSO – Seiji Ozawa, James Levine and Nelsons – and he says they were all smitten with the Berkshire venue.

“For Seiji, Tanglewood was his lifeblood,” says Fogg. “I think Jimmy [Levine] did some of his best work as music director at Tanglewood, and now we’re seeing the same with Andris.”

He says the love affair isn’t surprising.

“It’s pretty hard not to be totally taken with everything it has to offer,” says Fogg, who lives in Boston’s South End.

At Tanglewood, he stays in Stockbridge, and he’s never far from Nelsons, whom he describes as “one of the sweetest people.”

Over the three years of working with Nelsons, Fogg has come to understand the conductor’s taste in music.

Asked how well Nelsons, born in Latvia, speaks English, Fogg responds, “Better than I speak Latvian. Remember, English is Andris’ fourth language, behind Latvian, Russian and German.”

In addition to being a right-hand man to Nelsons, Fogg could also be called The Fixer. When the orchestra has a logistical problem, he gets the call.

“The closest shave I ever had was with Beethoven’s ‘Missa solemnis.’ The soprano part in that piece is fiendishly difficult,” he says, “and there aren’t a lot of singers who do it.”

So it was a problem when the soprano canceled at 1 p.m. on the day of the concert.

“I knew there was a great singer in St. Louis who could do the part,” says Fogg. “But first of all, we had to find her. We tracked her down and got her on a private plane to Boston. At 7:55, she was at the stage door, and then she and the conductor calmly walked out on the stage together. That was it.”

“John Williams’ Film Night” is performed by the Boston Pops on Aug. 19 at 8 p.m., at Tanglewood, in Lenox. Tickets: $23 - $124. Visit bso.org.

Family friendly Tanglewood

Asked about the challenges that Tanglewood faces these days, Tony Fogg pauses. It’s probably a good sign that nothing comes quickly to mind.

“Well, we’re constantly thinking about the variety of our offerings,” says Fogg, the BSO’s director of Tanglewood. “We’re trying to appeal to as wide a range of people as possible.”

That includes kids.

For the first time, Tanglewood offers Summer Sundays, a new program of lectures and musical demonstrations for all ages. An example of the programming is “Watch and Play,” an interactive musical presentation designed to engage kids, ages 3 to 10. “Kids’ Corner” is an informal, drop-in crafts spot for kids. For the adults, there are beer, wine and food tastings, as well as yoga and Qigong.

Summer Sundays also come at a family friendly price. Lawn tickets are free for kids under 17, so a single parent can bring four kids to Tanglewood for the price of one $19 lawn ticket, enjoying family activities, a picnic on the lawn and music.

“It’s a great place to listen to music, enjoy the magnificent landscape and commune with nature,” says Fogg.